Question
For both dry and wet food, what criteria can I use to determine on my own if it is a high quality food for my cats (normal, healthy cats)?
In the past I've had experiences where, when I told the vet what food I was using, they would say "Don't use that, it's not good food, use this other brand instead." How does the vet know? I would like be able to make those kinds of decisions on my own because the brand my vet explicitly recommends isn't always available.
However, it's problematic because price ("it's more expensive, it must be better"), packaging ("that design looks professional, it must be better"), and labeling ("the words 'healthy' and 'recommended' are on the package, it must be better") are very distracting. I don't actually know what I'm looking for. The only thing I'm somewhat confident about is choosing the appropriate target cat age based on labeling.
What should I look for in a good food?
Answer
There's no simple formula for this activity, the dietary needs of cats will vary over time. Nevertheless, there are a couple of things to consider:
Meat content. Cats are obligate carnivores, so foods overloaded with non-meat fillers is not really a sign. Some non-meat portions are not unexpected and may be added for other purposes, but meat needs to be the majority and it should clearly show that.
AAFCO "complete and balanced" food. This means that the food has been properly tested to meet the dietary needs of your pet. I know that both Canadian and American foods will be labelled with that, if appropriate, not sure beyond that. However, I would expect similar in many jurisdictions and it is worth checking this.
Vet's advice on current needs is something to factor in to your choices. They may recommend certain dietary content in the food, or avoidance of some, and so are always good to consult. You should make a habit of having that discussion with them regularly if possible because, as I noted, dietary needs can change over time.
Price is definitely not an indicator! However, really cheap knock-off brands (or "no name" products) are probably best avoided, but going for the caviar of food isn't a requirement either.
Hope that helps a bit, getting a food that is good for the cat and that they'll enjoy can be an adventure.
Answered By - Joanne C